Prosser, a sophomore at Dimond High, continued a family tradition by winning the boys 5-kilometer race on the muddy, messy trails at Bartlett High.

His mom and dad, Maylen Prosser and Mike Gomez, were crowned CIC individual champions in 1991, when Maylen won her second straight title for Dimond and Gomez won his first of three straight titles for West.

And his uncle, the late Laird Prosser, was the last Dimond boy to claim a CIC cross-country championship, taking the title in 1994.

"It feels good to be wearing a Dimond uniform as a Prosser," 15-year-old Sonny said as he tugged his mud-specked maroon-and-gold singlet.

Freshman Ava Earl of South High won the girls race. (Bob Hallinen / Alaska Dispatch News)

Tempting as it is to cue "Born to Run" as the meet's theme song, better to choose something newer. Something original. Something by 14-year-old singer/songwriter Ava Earl of South High, the winner of Saturday's girls race.

Earl, who has released two albums and was the youngest solo artist to perform on the main stage at last month's Salmonfest music festival, turned a duel with Eagle River freshman Emily Walsh into a solo act. She beat Walsh by 13 seconds with a personal-best time of 18 minutes, 57 seconds.

"Emily and I are in a lot of races together," Earl said, "so always at the beginning we're running together, and I think it psyches both of us out so we always push hard at the start. I try to get ahead of her, because if she gets ahead of me it would make me lose hope."

Walsh, another 14-year-old freshman, said she stuck with Earl until the final kilometer of the 5K race.

Service High runners show off their muddy legs after capturing the school’s first girls team title since 2005. (Bob Hallinen / Alaska Dispatch News)

The battle for team titles ended with something old and something new.

The West High boys, spurred by second-place Everett Cason and third-place Declan Dammeyer, captured their fifth straight CIC championship.

The Service High girls, led by third-place Grace Fahrney and fifth-place Tatum Witter, won their first CIC team title since 2005. The team includes one freshman — Witter — and two sophomores.

"Our team is stoked," Fahrney said.

Always a deep team, the West boys showed just how strong they are as a team when senior Luke Jager, the Eagles' top runner, faltered while battling Prosser for the lead.

Though conditions were sloppy, Prosser set a fast early pace on his way to a winning time of 16:18.

"I turned it on at the beginning," he said. "… I was gonna go out hard. I was thinking if anyone went with me, I would break them."

And that's pretty much what happened — Prosser was either in the lead or near the lead the whole race. Jager, whose running season was limited by his ski-training commitments, said he managed to stay with him for about 3 kilometers.

"He attacked and attacked and attacked, and when he did I just exploded," Jager said. "Maybe I underestimated him."

"… The first half felt like I was dictating the pace, but he made it pretty clear in the second half that he was in charge. I fell apart and I heard footsteps behind me and it was all West High (runners)."

Jager was passed by four teammates, all of whom placed in the top eight. Jager was West's fifth finisher, placing 14th.

Cason, who finished two seconds behind Prosser, said Jager's misfortune was his good fortune.

"When Luke started losing energy, that let me bridge the gap (to Prosser)," Cason said. "I passed Luke first and then I chased Sonny. I think I could have had (the win) if there was more space … a 5.1K."

The Eagles easily won the boys team title, scoring 33 points to runner-up Dimond's 64. Things were closer among the girls — Service ended its 12-year title drought by edging West by seven points, 48-55.

Cook Inlet Conference championships

Boys team scores — West 33, Dimond 64, Chugiak 86, Service 93, South 118, Eagle River 119, East 150.

Past CIC Champions

Year Boys Girls 2017 West Service 2016 West Chugiak 2015 West Chugiak 2014 West West 2013 West West 2012 Service West 2011 Service West 2010 Service South 2009 Service South 2008 Service West 2007 Service West 2006 South West 2005 South Service 2004 Dimond East 2003 Chugiak Service 2002 Dimond East 2001 Dimond Chugiak 2000 Chugiak East 1999 Dimond East 1998 Dimond East 1997 Dimond East 1996 Dimond Dimond 1995 Service Service 1994 Service Chugiak 1993 Dimond Service 1992 Dimond Chugiak 1991 Dimond Chugiak 1990 Bartlett Chugiak 1989 Bartlett Service 1988 Bartlett Service 1987 Dimond Bartlett 1986 Chugiak Bartlett 1985 Dimond West 1984 Dimond Bartlett 1983 Dimond Bartlett 1982 Bartlett West 1981 Bartlett Dimond 1980 Dimond Dimond 1979 Dimond Dimond 1978 Dimond Dimond 1977 Dimond Service 1976 Dimond Service 1975 Dimond Service 1974 Dimond Service 1973 Dimond Service 1972 Service Dimond